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Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun is a Shu general and one of the Five Tiger Generals. Zhao Yun is a prominent Shu character, appearing on the Shu side of every battle in earlier games and in most battles in later ones. He is also the focus of the games' manuals and introductory movies, as well as the character that the character-select cursor starts on in most games. His consistent trait in the Dynasty Warriors series is the white steed he rides with into battle. He sometimes shares the spotlight with the series' other iconic character, Lu Bu. In Dynasty Warriors Online, he is 24 years old. His height is 185 cm (approximately 6'1"). General Information While Serving Zhao yun you will gain Dsitribution + 10 Life + 15 Character Information The reason why Zhao Yun is depicted as the "main hero" of the Dynasty Warriors series is due to Omega Force's goal to focus on the series being action based. Suzuki agrees that people who have read Romance of the Three Kingdoms would immediately nominate Liu Bei for the right. However, he believes that the leader didn't quite fit their particular dynamic for an active, fighting character. Therefore, the development team desired to highlight a particular general instead. Due to the novel's influence, they wanted a noteworthy general from Shu. They identified Zhao Yun as the figure they needed, since he is popularly known for his lone charge against thousands of soldiers. He is kept intentionally young to contrast the older images fashioned for Liu Bei, Zhuge Liang, and other generals in Shu. Tomohiko Sho, who was the director of a recent Omega Force title, remarked that fans complained to the company when Zhao Yun wasn't initially selectable in Dynasty Warriors 4. He is also Kenichi Ogasawara's favorite character. Personality Zhao Yun is usually one of Liu Bei's right-hand men, faithfully serving him for the good of the land as a calm yet valiant general. He is always courageous and heroic, facing impossible odds in stride. He has the utmost faith in his lord and, though he may not agree with all of his decisions, he believes in his lord's integrity. A compassionate and trustworthy man, he is also on good terms with the rest of Shu's men. He particularly befriends Ma Chao as they both believe in justice and virtue. When Xing Cai is introduced, Zhao Yun also acts as a kind mentor for her and worries for her safety. Character Symbolism Zhao Yun is strongly associated with the color white in several Three Kingdoms media, which is a callback to his appearance as stated in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. People can see an interpretation of him in the Summer Palace, which has a famous painting of his heroics at Changban. White is linked to several positive traits within various fictional mediums, including honesty, virtue, purity and so on. One other reason for Zhao Yun being linked with the color may be due to a myth regarding the horse the general favored. A quick steed in its own right, it is fabled to run one thousand leagues during the day and five hundred leagues at night. The horse's name is supposedly White Dragon (白龍駒). Within various cutscenes in the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhao Yun rides a horse mirroring its appearance. Another strong image for Zhao Yun in various Three Kingdoms fiction is the idea of him wielding a spear, often said to be a long spear. Its name is roughly translated as "Shore Edge" (涯角槍) in legends and it allegedly makes an unnamed appearance in the Sanguozhi Pinghua. The weapon's revered namesake means that it "has none surpassing it, even in the heavenly sea of stars". Measuring in at a length of nine chi (approximately three meters or ten feet in modern conversions), Zhao Yun is said to have wielded it with magnificent skill. If one is to believe the tales, Zhao Yun used the same spear to defeat Zhang Fei in a duel. At times, Zhao Yun is associated with one of Cao Cao's twin swords from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. In this tale, he killed Xiahou En while rescuing A Dou from peril. Throughout the Dynasty Warriors series, Zhao Yun associates himself with a dragon. Aside from being a literal translation of his style name, the concept is additionally linked to Liu Bei's praise for Zhao Yun in Romance of the Three Kingdoms. During Chang Ban, Liu Bei mentioned his vassal fondly by style name and noted his vassal is filled with courage. Historically, Liu Bei is said to have praised his vassal in a similar matter after Zhao Yun's feat at Han River. Zhao Yun's third, fourth, and Standard weapons in Asian ports use key characters of the quote to form the name, "Brave Dragon". The original name for his Level 11 weapon is Nilin, which is again tied to the dragon motif for him. In Chinese mythology, each dragon has a special upside down scale, or nilin, growing on their throats. Normally, dragons are not easily provoked to attack people and are benevolent creatures. If their nilin is touched, however, they can hate humanity and others in an instant. The one who is responsible for touching their nilin is angrily killed within an instant. The Han Feizi equates the sudden act of violence to the temperament of a ruler. No matter how composed or friendly a monarch may be, subordinates who dare to poke at their leader's weak spots will suffer their ruler's unforgiving wrath. Historical Information Zhao Yun was born in Chángshān, Zhengding. The names of his relatives are unknown though he is mentioned to have a father and older brother. The Record of Three Kingdoms writes that he was 184 cm (approx. 6'0") tall and had a remarkably splendid appearance. He was recommended to join the military and was known to bravely lead troops under Gongsun Zan. When his lord clashed with Yuan Shao's army in Qingzhou, Zhao Yun was sent to aid Tian Kai. Through the latter's influence, he met Liu Bei and became a cavalry commander for him. To mourn the sudden passing of his older brother, Zhao Yun left Liu Bei and returned to Gongsun Zan. Another reason for his departure has also been Yuan Shao's expansion in 192, which threatened his homeland. In 200, Liu Bei relied on Yuan Shao for a time in Ye and Zhao Yun worked hard to be recognized by Liu Bei, organizing and training hundreds of troops. He eventually became Liu Bei's subordinate. Liu Bei left Yuan Shao with time and, in 208, he was fleeing from Cao Cao's massive army. Liu Bei had abandoned his family and traveled with his closest retainers. When their army was passing through Jingzhou, Zhao Yun voluntarily went back to retrieve Liu Bei's wife and child, Lady Gan and A Dou. When Cao Chun captured Liu Bei's two daughters, Zhao Yun rescued A Dou and Lady Gan from seemingly impossible odds. For his efforts, he was promoted to General of the Standard. In the same year, he also participated in the battles in Guiyang. Zhao Fan tried to marry his older brother's widow to him. Zhao Yun declined and said, "Zhao Fan surrendered only recently and we don't know what lies underneath his skin. Besides, there are plenty of women in this world." The incident made Liu Bei realize Zhao Yun's true character and, pleased with the reply, he soon sent his vassal to Liuying Sima. During the time Zhuge Liang joined in 213, Zhao Yun worked with Zhang Fei to suppress various provinces in Shu. Zhao Yun came from Jiangzhou of the river his comrade traveled and headed west to Chengdu. He was named General Yijun for his services. There is a story saying that Zhao Yun opposed his lord's distribution of the local farmland after his lord conquered Yizhou. Liu Bei wanted to give the locals' lands to his army but dropped the idea with Zhao Yun's persuasion. Zhao Yun also took part in the Battle of Mount Dingjun. According to Zhao Yun's records and the Zizhi Tongjian, Huang Zhong attacked Cao Cao's food supply while Zhao Yun was returning from an unrelated scouting mission. When his comrade did not return, Zhao Yun rode out with a handful of men to check on him. He was soon surrounded by Cao Cao's army and, though he charged through enemy lines, he eventually decided to retreat back to his base to tend to his fallen comrades. Cao Cao's troops pursued but stopped when they saw the gates open, as if inviting them to enter. To avoid the threat of an ambush, Cao Cao had his troops withdraw. Liu Bei heard of Zhao Yun's heroism and said, "Zilong is filled with bile!" Bile was believed to have greatly contributed to the amount of courage one had. He was nicknamed "General of Tiger Valour" from then on. When Liu Bei went to attack Sun Quan in 221, the Shu army were greatly determined to win at Xiaoting. Zhao Yun, however, expressed his distaste for the battle and remained in Jiāngzhōu. As a result, he was completely unharmed during the conflict. Two years later, he was eventually promoted to the General who Guards the East. He was stationed in Hanzhong with Zhuge Liang in 227. In the following year, he and Deng Zhi were ordered to distract Cao Zhen's large army while Zhuge Liang lead a separate attack on Mount Qi. From the start, however, Zhao Yun knew that the tide of battle was against them and eventually issued a retreat to avoid losing huge numbers. To ensure his men's safety, Zhao Yun personally guarded his army's flank. His army didn't lose many war supplies and they were able to re-distribute resources with other armies. Zhuge Liang offered to reward him, but he declined since it was still a defeat. Taking responsibility for the loss, he was demoted. He passed away and was succeeded by his eldest son, Zhao Tong, in 229. In 261, Wei Yan said the following regarding Zhao Yun: "A gentle, affectionate, wise, miraculous being who called the land to order. With him, neither accidents or disasters could disturb the peaceful balance he created. I think it reasonable to call him the true general of peace." Chinese Fiction In literature and folklore he is lauded as the third member of the Five Tiger Generals. Zhao Yun, after Killing Xiahou En, obtained "Qinggang" (青釭), a sword that Xiahou En was carrying for Cao Cao. Seeing Zhao's bravery, Cao Cao wanted him captured with the hopes of turning him to his side, and so ordered pursuit. While Zhao Yun was fleeing, he encountered many generals who attempted to capture him. A popular folktale based on a Chinese opera details his death. It said he was accidentally killed by his wife, Lady Sun Ruan Er, who used a needle. Due to him coming from every battle victorious and unscathed, he was called the Long-Winning General. His wife did not believe these claims and as a jest poked him with a needle to break his winning streak. Through the small wound the needle had created, Zhao Yun bled to death. Devastated by what she had done, she kills herself with her husband's sword. Quests started by Zhao Yun Destroy the Facility - 1 Player Quest Capture the Messenger - 1 Player Quest A Soldier Prizes Speed - 1 Player Quest Snow Princess' Robe - 3 Player Quest The Severed Route - 4 Player Quest Weapon Zhao Yun's Weapon of choice is the Bronze Spear